I used to chalk this difference up to one of language, but thats not the case, as English has parallels to each of the Russian words for types of companions; дгуг (droog) being a real friend, товарищ (tovarish) being comrade or colleague, знакомый (znakomiy) being an acquaintance

eventually I came to the realization that the difference, ultimately, stemmed from the fundamentally different models of economic organization; in an atomized society where needs are mediated by money, it's not often necessary to really be aware of who you can expect help from

when you feel sure in your ability to procure whatever you need w/o a mediating personal relationship, it becomes less pressing to strictly modulate which relationships you invest in, who gets to hear what; mistakes are much lower stakes, as "friends" are ultimately fungible.

in a society defined by the ineptitude of the system, the senseless cruelty of its whims, a keen awareness of who you can lean on is not just desirable, but necessary for survival; a poor investment of jovial sentiment can have dire consequences, should your trust be misplaced.

all in all, a bit of atomization is probably much preferable to the alternative; being able to not pay much attention to the integrity of your social bonds is a luxury, one which speaks to the reliability of the economic system.

personally, I'd rather be lonely than starving.

but even then, I do often find myself disconcerted by the ease with which some Americans declare someone they've just met, a friend; and vice versa, how quickly they seem able to drop someone that has helped them out for years, due to superficial differences. makes one feel alone

I've found that all I can do here is pay close attention to who treats their friends well, who notices efforts & reciprocates, rather than taking them for granted. thru this I've made some v close friends, but also some huge mistakes. perhaps this is a skill worth investing in.